Laundry apparatus



Aug. 1, 1961 E. o. MORTON LAUNDRY APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2, 1959 INVEN TOR ELDRED O. MORTON ATTORNEY Aug. 1, 1961 E. o. MORTON LAUNDRY APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2, 1959 INVENTOR ELDRED O. MORTON ATTORNEY 2,994,216 LAUNDRY APPARATUS Eldred 0. Morton, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 837,694 3 Claims. (Cl. 68-140) This invention relates to laundry apparatus and more particularly to a clothes washer of the type having a generally cylindrical, perforate clothes container rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis for effecting the washing action. An object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus of this kind.

A further object of the invention is to improve the washing action in a machine of the class set forth.

It has been the practice in the operation of horizontal axis, cylinder type machines marketed heretofore, to rotate the cylinder at a substantially constant speed such that the fabrics are carried centrifugally to an upper region of the basket from which they gravitate across the basket and plunge into the body of cleaning fluid in the bottom of the basket. The bundle of fabrics rotated in this manner tends to remain intact throughout its movement within the cylinder with little distribution of the fabrics within the bundle. Accordingly, the fabrics are non-uniformly cleaned since the various fabrics do not receive the same treatment as they tumble in the cleaning fluid. It is believed obvious that the various fabrics constituting the bundle will be non-uniformly rinsed since they are not brought uniformly into contact with the body of rinse water.

In accordance with the present invention, the harmonious movement of the fabrics constituting the bundle as described, is broken up so that all fabrics are brought into contact with the cleaning fluid in a substantially uniform manner. This opening of the bundle exposes more fabric surface to flexing action in the washing or rinsing solutions whereby improved soil removal and rinsing are carried out. This washing action is effected primarily by continually varying the speed of the basket between predetermined high and low values, which variation is obtained by the use of an elliptic sheave on the basket shaft belted to a circular drive pulley. The latter forms a part of a conventional motor driven mechanism. Accordingly, the basket is cycled between high and low speeds twice during each revolution. The elliptic pulley preferably drives the basket with its center eccentric to the axis of the basket so that the differential in the speeds in alternate cycles is different. This operation provides a washing action that is non-harmonic because the continually changing basket speeds preclude the formation of a bundle of fabrics that travels in a fixed pattern and with little or no relative movement of the fabrics within the bundle.

Furthermore, it has been found that the opening up of the bundle of fwrics, as described, may be further promoted by augmenting the speed changes, as described, by the use of non-symmetrically arranged vanes within the basket. The vanes may be non-symmetric as to height or preferably by varying the circumferential spacing of the vanes within the cylindrical basket.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a nonharmonic motion for the fabrics in a washer of the class set forth in order to open up the bundle of fabrics and present greater surface areas of the fabrics to the body of cleaning fluid.

The foregoing and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section taken through States Patent v EQQ a clothes washing machine constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention; FIG. 2 is a rear view of the machine; FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the elliptic sheave shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and I FIG. 4 is a view showing a curve of instantaneous basket speeds during a revolution of the basket with the positions of the drive sheave indicated for several of the instantaneous speeds.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the invention is disclosed applied to a domes-tic machine for washing fabrics and subsequently rinsing the same. Most domestic machines marketed today include means for carrying out other steps such as centrifuging and drying, but since the invention is directed only to the washing and rinsing operations, the means for effecting other steps has not been shown for the sake of brevity. The apparatus includes a washing and rinsing unit 10 suitably supported within a casing 11 and including a tub 12 and a perforate clothes basket 13 disposed therein. The basket 13 is supported solely by a shaft 14 suitably fixed to the basket and carrying a sheave l5, constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention, on its outer end. The sheave 15 includes a hub 16 suitably fixed to the shaft 1'4 and journalled in a bearing 17 carried by the rear end wall 18 of the tub 12. The sheave 15 rotates at all times with the basket 13 in the embodiment shown.

The basket 13 has a generally cylindrical side wall 19 which is perforate substantially throughout its extent, a few of the perforations being shown at 21. The front side of the basket is provided with an access opening 22 aligned substantially with an access passage 23 formed at the front end of the tub 12 and enclosed by a tubular wall structure 24. The latter is suitably secured to the front end of the tub l2 and to the front wall of the casing 11, A conventional door 25, preferably hinged to the casing 11, closes the access passage 23. The means for admitting washing water to the tub, as well as the means for discharging vitiated fluid therefrom, form no part of the present invention and, for the sake of brevity and clearness, they have not been illustrated.

In accordance with the invention, the sheave 15 is ellipitical in configuration and is mounted eccentrically on the basket shaft 14 with the geometric center of the sheave offset relative to the center of the shaft 14 along the major diameter of the sheave. The sheave is driven, by means of a belt 26, from an idler pulley 27 fixed to and rotatable with a large idler wheel 28. The idler pulley 27 and the wheel 28 rotate together at all times and are journalled on an idler shaft 29, the latter being secured to a supporting member 31 that is slidable within a grooved track 32 fixed in any suitable manner, such as by welding, to the rear wall is of the tub. A tension spring 33 having its lower end carried by a bracket 34 fixed to the tub structure, has its upper end attached to the supporting member. The spring 33 biases the supporting member 31 downwardly at all times in order to tension the belt 26. It will be noted that as the elliptic sheave 15 rotates, a reciprocating motion is imparted to the support 31 through the belt '26 and the idler pulley 27. The idler wheel 28 is driven by means of a belt 35 by the pulley 36 of a driving motor 37. The latter is carried by a suitable bracket 38 preferably welded to the tub 12.

In operating the washer, the fabrics are deposited in the basket and a body of washing fluid, indicated by the dot-and-dash line A (FIG. 1) is admitted to the tub, after which the door 25 is closed. Energization of the motor initiates the rotation of the idler pulleys Z7 and 28 by means of belt 35. The idler pulley 27 drives the elliptic sheave 15 counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 2, through belt 26. Due to the varying effective diameter of the sheave 15, the belt 26 and idler support 31, with the shaft 29 and idler pulleys 27 and 28, move upwardly and downwardly in track 32 and in opposition to the bias of spring 33.

Since the sheave 15 is fixed to the basket shaft 14 with the center of the sheave radially spaced from the axis of the shaft, one complete revolution of the sheave will provide two phases of basket speeds as shown in FIG. 4 where the abscissa indicates angular positions of the sheave and basket spaced sixty degrees apart during one complete revolution and the ordinates represent instantaneous speed of the sheave and basket. The center of the shaft 14 is shown at B in HG. 3 and the geometric center of the sheave is shown at C. The spac ing between these points is along the major diameter of the sheave 15 but the spacing may be otherwise, depending upon the desired relationship between succeeding speed phases. In the construction herein illustrated, an eccentricity of one-half inch is utilized. However, the sheave may be attached to the shaft 14 with the center of the sheave and the axis of the shaft 14 coinciding if succeeding phases of operation that are similar are desired. In this connection, however, improved results are obtained where the succeeding phases differ, as will be pointed out.

The phases as depicted by the curve in FIG. 4 are obtained where the eccentricity between centers B and C is one-half inch in a sheave 15, as shown. For convenience in considering the various radii of the sheave 15, a dot-dash circle D is shown in FIG. 3 that is tangent with the radii of smallest dimension. The first lobe of the curve, marked X, representing one phase, shows the instantaneous speed varying from a minimum of 56 r.p.m. to a maximum of about 61 rpm. and terminating at the minimum speed of 56 rpm. The second lobe of the curve, marked Y, representing the second phase, indicates that the instantaneous speed starts with 56 r.p.m., rises to 66 r.p.m., and terminates at 56 rpm. These speeds were obtained both by calculations and by test of a machine having a sheave 15, as shown, and rotated at an average speed of 60 r.p.m. The positions of the elliptic sheave for the instantaneous speeds are shown in FIG. 4. It will be noted here that the instantaneous speeds are dependent upon several factors, i.e., the particular shape of the elliptic sheave '15, the eccentricity of its geometric center C to the axis B of the shaft 14, as well as the fact that the idler pulley 27 moves away from axis B during portions of the rotation of the sheave and toward this axis B during other portions of the rotation of the sheave. However, the speed of the sheave is primarily governed by the effective diameter thereof and as used in this specification the term effective diameter means the sum of the radius that is normal to the driving or tight side of the belt plus the radius that is normal to the driven or loose side of the belt.

From FIG. 4, it will be seen that, in the first position, marked the sheave maximum effective diameter is effective to determine the instantaneous sheave speed. In this position it provides the minimum instantaneous sheave speed of 56 rpm. As the sheave rotates in the direction of the arrow, its effective diameter decreases and its speed is progressively increased. Between the 30 degree and 90 degree positions, the minimum effective diameter becomes effective to provide the high speed of the first lobe of 61 rpm. The effective diameter then increases until the 180 degree position ending the first lobe and starting the second lobe is reached wherein the minimum speed of approximately 56 rpm. is obtained. Movement of the sheave from the 180 degree position to the 270 degree position brings decreasing effective diameters into effect and progressively higher speeds are obtained between these positions. As the sheave attains its 360 degree or starting position, minimum speed is obtained as the effective diameter is again maximum in this position. It will be noted that the 2,994,216 I w a 4 moving of the idler pulley axis toward and away from the axis of the shaft 14 has an effect on the speed of the sheave 15. Movement of the idler away from the sheave has the effect of increasing belt speed, and the converse is true as the idler moves toward the sheave. The various factors governing the speed of the sheave become rather involved but the speed curve has been obtained from actual test and is substantially correct for a sheave generally as shown and described.

The constantly varying basket speed, shown by the curve of FIG. 4, has produced, by test, improved soil removal as well as better rinsing of the fabrics when compared to the rotation of the basket at a fixed speed, optimum for the particular basket. At the high basket speed of 66 r.p.m., the fabrics are elevated centrifugally to the uppermost region of the basket and then gravitate across the basket into the body of washing fluid. At this time, acceleration due to centrifugal force approaches acceleration due to gravity. As the speed declines, the bundle of fabrics falls away from the cylinder side walls earlier. It is this constant changing of the pattern of falling of the rotating bundle that keeps the bundle opened up, so that the fabrics distribute constantly in the bundle with all surfaces of the fabrics being subjected to the washing fluid.

Elevation of the fabrics in the basket of a machine of this type is assisted by vanes extending inwardly of the basket. Two such vanes are shown at 41. It has been found that a non-symmetric arrangement of the vanes 41 within the basket has further improved the distribution of the fabrics within the moving bundle. While this nonsymmetric arrangement might be carried out in various ways, for example, by different vane heights or nonsymmetric spacing, it has been found that the latter is satisfactory and similar vanes 41 have been spaced degrees-210 degrees apart within the basket. This non-symmetric spacing augments the basket speed changing mechanism in opening up the bundle of fabrics as it is circulated in the basket. It has been noted that the fabrics tend to bunch in the short 150 degree area and to spread out in the larger 210 degree area between the vanes.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that an improved clothes washer of the horizontal axis cylinder type has been provided wherein the pattern of the bundle of fabrics circulated in the basket is constantly changed by variations in the basket speed. This operation effects the breaking up of the bundle and the subjecting of substantially all surfaces of the fabrics to the body of cleaning fluid. As set forth, this result is assisted by the nonsymmetric arrangement of vanes in the basket. The entire operation is non-symmetric to obtain the desired result and, as there is no fixed speed of operation, the operation is non-harmonic in effect.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for cleaning fabrics or the like, the combination of a tub for containing a body of cleaning fluid, a basket for containing the fabrics and rotatable about a generally horizontal axis for tumbling the fabrics in said fluid and means for rotating the basket about its axis at varying speeds; said rotating means including an elliptic sheave connected to the basket with the axis of the latter eccentric to the center of the sheave, a belt driving the sheave and motor driven means driving the belt; the construction and arrangement being such that the speed of the basket increases and decreases between low and high values twice during a revolution of the basket and the speed differential of one increase and decrease differing from the speed differential of the succeeding increase and decrease.

2. In a machine for cleaning fabrics or the like, the

combination of a tub for containing a body of cleaning fluid, a basket for containing the fabrics and rotatable about a. generally horizontal axis for tumbling the fabrics in said fluid and means for rotating the basket about its axis at varying speeds; said rotating means including an elliptic sheave connected to the basket with the axis of the latter spaced along the major diameter of the sheave from the center thereof, a belt driving the sheave and motor driven pulley means driving the belt; the construction and arrangement being such that the speed of the basket increases and decreases between low and high values twice during a revolution of the basket and the maximum speed of one increase and decrease being greater than the maximum speed of the succeeding increase and decrease.

3. In a machine for cleaning fabrics or the like, the combination of a tub for containing a body of cleaning fluid, a. basket for containing the fabrics and rotatable 7 about a generally horizontal axis for tumbling the fabrics in said fluid, a motor driven pulley, an idler wheel belted to said pulley, an idler pulley driven by the idler wheel,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 149,336 Richards Apr. 7, 1874 1,906,801 Mather May 2, 1933 2,112,687 Barton Mar. 29, 1938 2,556,490 Chamberlin June 12, 1951 2,807,963 Osterhus Oct. 1, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,123 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1915 

